The area where modern Denizli is located was known as Phrygia and the inner Caria region in ancient times. It is also located on the passageways connecting the most important harbor cities of the ancient period to the inner parts of Anatolia. Moreover, various grains grown in fertile agricultural lands, grape and the wine which are produced from them, linen and woolen fabrics obtained from sheep among the most recognized and favorite products in the ancient world. In particular, high-quality textile products of the region were exported to the ancient world, generating significant profits. As a result, the region is in an important position in terms of commercial, social, cultural and scientific and also this position has provided great wealth to the people of the region. Pamukkale University, Archaeology Department was established as Archaeology and Art History within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and recruitment of the faculty members was initiated at the end of 1999 to commence its activities. It was separated as the Department of Archaeology by the Council of Higher Education on May 8., 2002, and its first students began to admitted in the 2002-2003 academic year. The department consists of four main branches of science: Prehistory, Protohistory and Near Eastern Archaeology, Classical Archaeology and Medieval Archaeology. At the postgraduate level, it continued its education in Master's and Doctorate (jointly with Adnan Menderes University) programs under the Institute of Social Sciences from 2000-2001 to 2015, and with the establishment of the Institute of Archaeology by the Council of Higher Education on 16.02.2015, postgraduate (Master's and Doctorate) education began to be continued under the roof of this institute. Currently, students are being accepted to train specialists in the Archaeology Master's and Archaeology Doctorate Programs affiliated with the Institute of Archaeology. The primary objectives of the Archeology Department are to the dig, research, and document, achieve, promote and pass on to the future generations the ancient settlements of the region. In addition, the students trained and to be trained in the department will make a great contribution to the development of the archaeology of the region and Turkey. The path to training qualified and expert archaeologists of the future who will work in museums affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, private museums, municipalities, highways, and DSI’s will be opened with the graduates of the department. Our department carries out its education and scientific studies in 3 classrooms, 1 research lab. And 4 excavation/survey study rooms equipped with up-to-date technological equipment. Excavations of the ancient cities of Laodikeia, Stratonikeia-Lagina, Tripolis, Sillyon, Pamukkale-Hierapolis, Aphrodisias, Labraunda, Çatalhöyük and Kolossai are carried out by our department with the decision/decree of the Council of Ministers/Presidential Office. In addition, the ancient city Attaouda is conducted by the scientific consultancy of our Department. Our students reinforce their theoretical knowledge by learning it practically in these excavations. Excavations and survey carried out under the direction of our department’s academic staff are supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and also our university’s Scientific Research Projects (BAP) and Tübitak projects. There are many books and articles published about the excavations and survey of the department members.
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Click here for our students' departmental promotional video...